CHA2DS2-VASc Score Calculator. Calculate the CHA2DS2-VASc score to assess stroke risk in atrial fibrillation patients. Check the boxes for each applicable risk factor — congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75, diabetes mellitus, prior stroke/TIA, vascular disease, age 65–74, and female sex — and get your total score, annual stroke risk percentage, and a treatment recommendation based on current guidelines. Also try the QTc Calculator.
Each letter represents a stroke risk factor: C = Congestive heart failure, H = Hypertension, A2 = Age ≥75 (2 points), D = Diabetes mellitus, S2 = prior Stroke/TIA/thromboembolism (2 points), V = Vascular disease, A = Age 65–74, Sc = Sex category (female). The maximum possible score is 9. See also our TIMI Score for STEMI Calculator.
A score of 2 or more in males, or 3 or more in females, is generally considered high risk and oral anticoagulation therapy is recommended. Scores of 0 (male) or 1 (female) indicate low risk where anticoagulation is typically not needed.
Female sex is a risk modifier rather than an independent stroke risk factor. A score of 1 in a female patient (due solely to sex) does not on its own warrant anticoagulation. Anticoagulation for females is generally recommended when their score reaches 3 or higher, reflecting at least one additional clinical risk factor.
The CHA2DS2-VASc score is an extension of the original CHADS2 score and adds vascular disease, age 65–74, and female sex as additional risk factors. It more accurately identifies truly low-risk patients who do not require anticoagulation and better stratifies intermediate-risk patients compared to CHADS2. You might also find our MCA (Middle Cerebral Artery) Calculator useful.
For patients with a score indicating anticoagulation, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, or edoxaban are generally preferred over warfarin in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Antiplatelet therapy alone is not recommended as an alternative to anticoagulation for stroke prevention in AF.
The CHA2DS2-VASc score is validated for use in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Patients with valvular AF (e.g., moderate-to-severe mitral stenosis or mechanical heart valves) are already considered high risk and require anticoagulation regardless of their score.
The CHA2DS2-VASc score provides an estimate of stroke risk but does not account for all individual patient variables such as renal function, bleeding risk (assessed separately with tools like HAS-BLED), or medication adherence. Clinical judgment should always complement score-based guidance when making anticoagulation decisions.
No. The maximum possible CHA2DS2-VASc score is 9, achieved when all risk criteria are present. However, only one age category (either ≥75 years or 65–74 years) should be selected at a time, as they are mutually exclusive. Check out our PERC Calculator as well.